Brand New Weekly Feature in News on Sunday!

(First published in print and online on Defi Media Groups News on Sunday – 20th March 2015.)

Sabah Says…

Hello and welcome to my brand new weekly column, Sabah Says! My name is Sabah Ismail and I am a twenty-something Mauritian expat, originally from Manchester in England – with big hair and a lot to say.

Back in the UK where I was born and have been brought up for the last twenty-six years, instead of following societal expectations of ‘how to be successful’ after obtaining a degree in Law, I have pursued my dreams of working in the creative fields for, at times, little or no money at all. I am a writer, an artist and a dreamer and I aim to change the world for the better, one positive, multi-coloured step at a time.

Over the past six years, I have immersed myself in the media world, working in TV, radio and for a number of print and online publications, writing about music, arts, culture and politics. I have hosted my own radio shows, helped to produce a television show, interviewed and written about a whole host of celebrities in the UK, organised my own public demonstrations against injustice in the world, and so much more. At the same time, I have been running my own small business as a henna artist, which goes by the name of Beyond Henna. The business not only incorporates henna body art, but also henna inspired products where I design and create my own notebooks, candles, canvasses and more using henna-inspired designs. If I am not drawing away, creating art, or taking photographs, you will find me writing about the things I am most passionate about – and this is when I am most content.

Spirituality plays a massive part in my life and everything I do is always for a higher cause. I believe, wholeheartedly, that we have been blessed with the talents that we have been blessed with in order to benefit the whole of humanity, and my artwork and writing embodies these values. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world” and in a world where things can appear so very bleak at times, I wish to spread a little bit of light and love by being that positive change, not only for myself but for each and every being on this earth.

So, what can you expect to read in my weekly columns? Well, artistic expression to me is a way of making this world a better place and takes many forms: whether it is artwork, music, photography, books, fashion or anything else creative. I appreciate the efforts that anyone puts in to expressing themselves in all these different, wonderful ways and I will be sharing new discoveries that I have made in these areas, with you!

Being a journalist, I am known for having an opinion, so I will also be sharing my views with you on varying different subjects: those that affect the world we live in, those that affect Mauritian residents, and of course, being an expat, those issues which affect expats living on this glorious island.

All on all, you can expect inspiration, opinion and most importantly positivity from my column and I am so excited to be beginning this journey with News on Sunday. Come along and join me for the ride! See you next week.